Summary of Aug. 19 board of directors meeting

August 21, 2025

The BPRD board of directors approved a lease amendment with the Bend Elks and approved a contract award for the Art Station construction at the Aug. 19 meeting. A video recording of the meeting is available.

Art Station contract

Staff recommended and the board awarded a construction contract to the low bidder, Griffin Construction LLC, for the construction of the Art Station. The project includes construction of an approximately 4,900 square foot facility to house art programming in Larkspur Park across from the Larkspur Center. The building will provide year-round community activities and programs for all ages. The building will have three classroom spaces including a clay studio with adjacent kiln room, offices, restrooms, and other support spaces. The project budget also includes the furnishings, fixtures, and support equipment (FF&E) necessary for art programming. The total construction budget is not to exceed $3,398,432.

Construction is anticipated to start in the fall of 2025 (pending permit issuance) and continue into 2026.

Bend Elks lease at Vince Genna Stadium

The district currently leases Vince Genna Stadium to the Bend Elks Baseball Club under a long-term lease agreement originally executed in 2008 and subsequently amended three times, most recently in May 2025. The Elks have continued to invest in improvements to the facility and expand their programming and community engagement.

Adjacent to the stadium is a residential house owned by the district, previously used for an intern program that no longer exists. The house has since remained unoccupied. Adding the house to the Elks’ lease aligns with the Elks’ operational needs and supports the team’s ability to house staff or players during the season. The arrangement also reduces the district’s maintenance obligations and associated costs, as the Elks will assume responsibility for building upkeep and grounds maintenance.

Bend Whitewater Park project design

The board of directors authorized the executive director to negotiate and execute amendment #2 to the contract with Recreation Engineering & Planning for the Bend Whitewater Park Maintenance Project.

This phase of work will include conceptual design development and cost estimates, concept plan renderings, additional survey and data collection, 30% design development and cost estimates, preliminary hydraulic modeling, additional regulatory agency meetings and coordination, biological resources and delineations, and accessibility consulting. No timeline or funding plans have been established yet for this project.

Hard surfaces maintenance program

During the work session, the facilities team provided an overview of the district’s hard surface maintenance program which includes caring for assets such as parking areas, plazas, walkways, sidewalks, sport courts, and other park amenities.

Additionally, the team shared information about how the program has evolved in response to the growing inventory of parks and facilities, limited availability of qualified contractors, and escalating costs.  The district’s facilities team was originally set up to manage smaller hard surface projects, with larger projects managed by outside contractors.

Over time, the hard surface program has had to scale operations rapidly to accommodate increased maintenance needs from the district’s expanded park system and a lack of qualified outside contractors to complete larger, more complex projects. Additionally, material prices and operational costs have continued to rise, requiring adjustments in project planning, procurement, and prioritization.

The board meeting is canceled for Sept. 2. The next board of directors meeting is a special call meeting on Sept. 23.